So much for that: Ibanez heading back to Seattle

[2]Raul Ibanez is heading back to familiar territory, but not with the Yankees.

According to Sweeny Murti[3] and Ken Rosenthal,[4] Ibanez has agreed to a one-year deal with the Mariners, the team that originally drafted him and gave him his first chance in the big leagues.

The Yankees were known to be interested in re-signing Ibanez — Brian Cashman had admitted to having conversations with his agent — but reports this week indicated that Seattle was interested and Ibanez was itching to make a decision. He will almost certainly settle into an outfield role with the Mariners, who already have the DH spot covered in the wake of this week’s Kendrys Morales trade. The Mariners outfield is a spot of weakness.

As for the Yankees, Ibanez would not have been a perfect fit — they certainly don’t need additional left-handed outfield depth — but he did seem to be one of the better options on the free agent market. Losing out on Ibanez leaves the Yankees DH spot wide open.